Operating bar for vending machines



Jan 17, 1950 c. GABRIELSEN OPERATING BAR FOR VENDING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 2'7, 1946 INVENTOR. CHRIST/FIN GQBP/ELSEN 2w F) TTORNE Y Jam. 17,. 1950 c. GABRIELSEN OPERATING BAR FOR VENDING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 27, 1946 INVENTOR. CHRIST/RN @145 R/& 4.5 s N BY QW HTTOFPNEY Patented Jan. 17, 1950 OPERATING BAR FOR VENDINGMACHINES- OhristianGabrielsen, Whippany, N-J JI, assignor to' The Rowe Manufacturing om, Inca pany, NJl a .corporationzofrNew York:

Whip- Application December 27, 1946; Serial No. 718,680.,

3 Claims. 1

My invention relates to an improved operating bar for vending machines and moreparticw larly coin controlled vending machines:

Most vending machines are adapted to dispense one of a plurality of diiierent brands of merchandise selected by the purchaser: The different brands are usually stacked in adjacent columns which are presented for thepurchasers choice. Upon the deposit. of coins ofthe'correct denomination, representing the valuepf the mer chandise to be sold, the machine is placed'in operative condition so that when a purchaser selects the particular brand desired. he may actuate an operating plunger which then dispenses the merchandise.

A coin controlled vending machine adapted to vend articles, such as cigarettes, is shown in Rowe et a1. Patent 2,231,952, dated February 19, 1941. In the vending machine, there shown a plurality of operating plungers are locked by the coin controlled mechanism through axcommon locking bar having pinions. at each end thereof. The locking bar is supported by a pair of rods which serve to hold the pinions in engagement with stationary racks at each end of the bar.

In theconstruction there shown the friction of the pinion-bar alongthesupportin'g rods. interferes with the smooth operation of the vending machine. Furthermore, upon the operation of one of the plungers remote from the locked end of the bar, the torque round an axis at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the bar is such that excessive strain and wear occurs between the pinion and rack teeth. This torque in addition increases the friction tending to jam the operating bar especially when wear takes place in the pinion teeth or the rack teeth. Then, too, in order to maintain parallel motion of the pinion bar in the construction shown in the Rowe et a1. Patent 2,231,952, the pinion bar must rotate. The force causing the bar to rotate is the force with which a plunger is pulled times the lever arm between the contact point of the pinion teeth and the axis of the pinion bar. It will be observed that this lever arm in Rowe et a1. patent is an extremely small one thus serving to make the machine difficult to operate.

One object of my invention is to provide an improved operating bar adapted to be locked at one end and to control the operation of a plurality of operating plungers adapted to vend different brands of merchandise at a purchasers selection.

Another object of my invention is to provide 55 2; an operating bar which wi'I1 reduce the force necessary to actuate the 1 vending machine.

Another object of'my invention is to provide an operating'bargofjimproved construction in which friction is' reduced to a minimum.

A' further. object of'my'invention is to provide an operating bar which is sturdy, trouble-free and in which the'disadvantages of the prior. art construction are eliminated.

Other and further objects ofmy invention will appear from the following description.

In the; accompanying;drawings, which form part o'f'the instant specification and which are tobe. read in conjunctiontherewith and in which like referencenumerals are usedto indicate like parts in the various Views:

Figure lis' a perspective view ofa coin controlled vending; machine. with parts brokenaway showing my. improved operating bar.

Figure. is .a sectional.view with parts... eliminatedtaken .along'the line 2- -2. of Figure 1.

Figure'3is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 35-3 of'Fi'gureZi.

Referringjnow to the drawings, the vending machine shown'is. adaptedto vend articles such as "packages of "cigarettes of various brands. normally"stacked in columns heldin a plurality of adjacent" containers or chutes Z. A corresponding plurality of operating plungers 4 are adapted to dispense the articles to be vended as, for example, cigarettes, from the chutes or columns 2 through operating handles 6. Each operating plunger 4 carries a downwardly extending projection 8 which engages the rear portion of the operating bar 10. One end l2 of the operating bar I 0 is normally locked through a coin controlled lock mechanism (not shown) which forms no part of the instant invention. The lever I4 is a portion of the coin controlled locking mechanism. Upon the insertion of coins of the proper denomination, the locking mechanism is placed in inoperative position so that the end l2 of the operating bar In is free to move to the left as viewed in Figure 1. Rigidly secured to the rod or bar II] which is circular in cross-section, are a pair of toothed segments 16 and [8. The segments are secured to the bar inwardly of the ends thereof as can readil be seen by reference to Figures 1 and 2. Secured to the machine housing 20, in any suitable manner, are a pair of plates 22 and 26 provided with slots :26 and 28 in which the ends of the bar Ill, projecting beyond the segments l6 and I8, are lod ed. Supported from the framework in any appropriate manner, I provide a. pair of racks 30 and 32 adapted to engage the teeth 34 and 36 formed upon the segments l6 and I8.

In operation, when the end l2 of the operating bar is freed by the insertion of coins of the proper denomination into the coin controlled mechanism, a purchaser may pull one of the operating handles 6 depending upon the particular brand desired. Pulling the handle 6 pulls the plunger 4 and its projection 8 thus moving the operating bar forwardly. Since the segments 16 and I8 are rigidly secured to the bar 10, the forward motion of the bar by force applied at any point throughout its length will move the upper portion of the segments forwardly. The lower portions of the.

segments, however, are formed with teeth which are engaged with the racks 3|] and 32. This produces a rotation of the bar causing both segments to rotate carrying both ends of the bar forwardly at the same rate. left-hand plunger is pulled, the rotation of the segment I 5 will produce rotation of the bar it! and hence a rotation of the segment l8 insuring that the right-hand side of the bar moves at the same rate as the left-hand side of the bar thus producing a parallel motion of the bar. It will be observed further, that the dimension between the axis of the bar [0 and the teeth of the racks 30 and 32 is many times the diameter of the bar N]. This dimension in my improvement is made so large that the angle subtended by the gear segment is 90 or less. In other words, the dimension is sufiiciently large that the operating or looking bar It will move the required distance to permit the dispensing action to occur without rotating more than 90. The lever arm, therefore, through which the force exerted by plunger 4 acts to rotate the bar I0, is large, giving ample mechanical advantage for friction-reduced, easy and smooth operation. The weight of the bar I0 is supported upon the racks 30 and 32 through the segments l6 and I8. The guide slots 26 and 28 in the plates 22 and 24 serve to hold the segment teeth and the rack teeth in engagement.

It will be seen that I have accomplished the objects of my invention. I have provided an improved operating bar adapted to be locked at one end to control the operation of a plurality of separate operating plungers. My improved operat- If, for example, the

ing bar reduces the force necessary to actuate the vending machine and at the same time reduces friction to a minimum. My improved operating bar is sturdy, trouble-free and eliminates the disadvantages of the prior art.

It will be clear that various changes may be made in details within the scope of my claims without departing from the spirit of my invention. It is therefore understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a coin-controlled vending machine having a plurality of operating members selectively movable to dispense articles of a corresponding plurality of containers, a common locking bar positioned to control the movement of each of said operating members, coin-controlled means for immobilizing the locking bar at one point therealong and adapted to free the bar for movement in response to a deposit of a coin, the improvement comprising in combination a pair of racks, a pair of gear segments secured to the bar for movement therewith engaging and supported by said racks, said segments subtending an angle of not more than degrees and means for holding the said segments and racks in engagement.

2. A coin-controlled vending machine as in claim 1 in which the coin-controlled means is attached to the locking bar at one end thereof.

3. A coin-controlled vending machine as in claim 1 in which said means for holding said segments and racks in engagement comprises a pair of plates formed with guide slots extending parallel to said racks, said operating bar passing through said slots.

CHRISTIAN GABRIELSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 998,521 Johnson July 18, 1911 2,231,952 Rowe et a1. Feb. 18, 1941 2,330,153 Steiner Sept. 21, 1943 

